Tag Archives: Defra EU and YK footprinting update

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and The Waste Industry Safety and Health Forum (WISH) have published guidance on managing the risks from waste and recycling collection services. According to HSE, collection activities account for the largest proportion of accidents in the waste and recycling industries.

On behalf of the Environment Agency and its Equal (Ensuring Quality waste-derived products) programme partners, this event will launch the IsItWaste? programme’s support tool. The free online tool empowers businesses to assess and make informed decisions about whether a waste-derived material is a by-product, achieves End-of-Waste criteria or remains a waste. The Equal LIFE+ programme aims to promote the re-use and recycling of waste materials whilst protecting human health and the environment. The IsItWaste? webtool will help businesses to derive value from waste materials by demonstrating that they are safe, high quality products. The programme partners are the Environment Agency, CIWM, ESA, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure & the Environment, the Organics Recycling Group, and Energy UK.

Defra is running an event on November 24, from 1:30 – 5pm, to update UK businesses about the ongoing work on environmental footprinting led by the European Commission. The EC has published two generic footprinting methods – one for products and one for organisations, and has recommended their use by Member States and by companies. The aim is that the methods will be used to measure environmental performance on a life cycle basis, and will counteract the proliferation of different methodologies. A 3 year pilot of these methods began in November 2013 and includes work to develop product- and sector-specific rules and to test communications vehicles. Further background information is on the EC PEF website.

At this session you will hear from the European Commission directly on the progress of the pilot work, and from businesses involved in individual pilots on their experiences so far. There will be an opportunity to ask questions and to contribute your views on the potential future impacts and issues for UK business. Defra are keen to gather views in this area to help us develop our policy on how footprinting methodologies can most usefully be developed and how they might contribute to environmental policy in the future. If you are interested in attending this event, please contact Defra to request a place: